Zelenskiy, flanked by Europe, heads to Washington as Trump presses for Russia deal
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Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders will meet Donald Trump in Washington on Monday to map out a peace deal amid fears the U.S. president could try to pressure Kyiv into accepting a settlement favourable to Moscow.The leaders of Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Finland, the European Union and NATO hope to shore up Zelenskiy at a crucial diplomatic moment in the war and prevent any repetition of the bad-tempered Oval Office encounter between Trump and Ukraine's leader in February.Trump will meet first with Zelenskiy at 1:15 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (1715 GMT) in the Oval Office and then with all the European leaders together in the White House's East Room at 3 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT), the White House said.After rolling out the red carpet for Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, Trump said an agreement should be struck to end the 42-month-long war which has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions."President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight," Trump said on his Truth Social platform, using an alternate transliteration of the Ukrainian leader's name.However, Zelenskiy has already all but rejected the outline of Putin's proposals at that meeting, including for Ukraine to give up the rest of its eastern Donetsk region, of which it currently controls a quarter."We need real negotiations, which means we can start where the front line is now," the Ukrainian leader said in Brussels on Sunday, adding that his country's constitution made it impossible for him to give away territory.More concerning for him is the fact that Trump, who previously favoured Kyiv's proposal for an immediate ceasefire to conduct deeper peace talks, reversed course after the summit and indicated support for Russia's favoured approach of negotiating a comprehensive deal while fighting rumbles on."I am grateful to the President of the United States for the invitation. We all equally want to end this war swiftly and reliably," Zelenskiy said on the Telegram messaging app after arriving in Washington late on Sunday. "Russia must end this war - the war it started. And I hope that our shared strength with America and with our European friends will compel Russia to real peace."The outline of Putin's proposals, reported by Reuters earlier, appears impossible for Zelenskiy to accept. Ukrainian forces are deeply dug into the Donetsk region, whose towns and hills serve as a crucial defensive zone to stymie Russian attacks.As part of any peace deal, Kyiv wants security guarantees sufficient to deter Russia, which took Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014 and launched a full invasion in 2022, from attacking again.Fearing that they would be shut out of the conversation after a summit to which they were not invited, European leaders held a call with Zelenskiy on Sunday to align on a common strategy for the meeting with Trump on Monday.The presence of key European allies to back Zelenskiy may alleviate painful memories of Zelenskiy's last Oval Office visit."It's important for the Europeans to be there: (Trump) respects them, he behaves differently in their presence," Oleksandr Merezhko, a Ukrainian lawmaker from Zelenskiy's ruling party, told Reuters.U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to CBS, dismissed the idea that the European leaders were coming to Washington to protect Zelenskiy."They're not coming here tomorrow to keep Zelenskiy from being bullied. They're coming here tomorrow because we've been working with the Europeans," he said. "We invited them to come."Relations between Kyiv and Washington, once extremely close, have been rocky since Trump took office in January.However, Ukraine's pressing need for U.S. weapons and intelligence sharing, some of which have no viable alternative, has forced Zelenskiy and his allies on the continent to appease Trump, even when his statements appear contradictory to their objectives.On the battlefield Russia has been slowly grinding forward, pressing home its advantages in men and firepower. Putin says he is ready to continue fighting until his military objectives are achieved.Ukraine hopes that the changing technological nature of the war and its ability to inflict massive casualties on Moscow will allow it to hold out, supported by European financial and military aid even if relations with Washington collapse.
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Trump-Zelensky talks news: As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump returned to the White House on Monday, the former signalled his openness to a trilateral meeting with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. US President Donald Trump held a public and a private meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in the Oval Office of the White House.(AP) Earlier on Sunday, the White House said that Trump is open to holding three-way talks with Putin and Zelensky in the US state of Alaska, a development that came amid the efforts to reach a truce agreement to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Follow Trump-Zelensky meeting LIVE updates Monday's meeting between Trump and Zelensky comes after the US President's summit with Putin in Alaska, which he described as a "very productive meeting". ALSO READ | Zelensky returns to the White House to meet Trump after horrific Oval Office spat | A recap Meanwhile, a group of European leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, were holding a meeting with Trump and Zelensky at the White House. Trump-Zelensky meet in White House | 6 Points Open to 'trilateral meeting': A day after US President Donald Trump's assent for a trilateral meeting with Zelensky and Putin, the Ukrainian President also expressed openness to such a meet. "We are ready for trilateral," he said. The intention behind the meeting would be to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. Trump also said that it is "never the end of the road" after being asked if Ukraine would not get support from the US in case no deal is struck. He expressed hope and said "there is a good chance" of ending the war through these meetings. "I know the president, I know myself, and I believe Vladimir Putin wants to see it end," Trump said. ALSO READ | Putin dials PM Modi: India calls for peaceful resolution of Ukraine war as Trump meets Zelensky Zelensky's 'suit' catches the eye: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was spotted in formal attire for his meeting with Trump on Monday, taking the US President by surprise. "He's all dressed up today," Trump told reporters as he greeted Zelensky. One of the American reporters complimented the Ukrainian leader and said, "Love the suit". Another reporter who had hit out at Zelensky for not wearing a suit last time told the leader that he looked "fabulous in the suit". Trump jumped in and said, "I said the same thing", then he turned to Zelensky and added, "That's the one that attacked you last time". Zelensky responded by saying, "I remember that", sending a ripple of laughter across the room. From Ukraine's first lady to the US's first lady: Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky handed President Trump a letter from Ukraine's first lady and told him that it was for America's first lady, Melania Trump. "My wife, the first lady of Ukraine, she gave the letter. It's not to you but to your wife," Zelensky reportedly told Trump. Last week, Trump handed a letter from Melania to Russian President Vladimir Putin at their summit in Alaska. Melania had urged Putin to put an end to the war in Ukraine, saying "it is time". Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky handed President Trump a letter from Ukraine's first lady and told him that it was for America's first lady, Melania Trump. "My wife, the first lady of Ukraine, she gave the letter. It's not to you but to your wife," Zelensky reportedly told Trump. Last week, Trump handed a letter from Melania to Russian President Vladimir Putin at their summit in Alaska. Melania had urged Putin to put an end to the war in Ukraine, saying "it is time". Will Trump send US troops to Ukraine war?: On being asked whether the US President would rule out the deployment of US troops to the Ukrainian war zone, Donald Trump said, "We'll let you know that, maybe, later today," in reference to the meeting he held with the seven European leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. "They'll all be involved. When it comes to security, there's going to be a lot of help," Trump added. On being asked whether the US President would rule out the deployment of US troops to the Ukrainian war zone, Donald Trump said, "We'll let you know that, maybe, later today," in reference to the meeting he held with the seven European leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. "They'll all be involved. When it comes to security, there's going to be a lot of help," Trump added. Zelensky open to Ukraine elections, if 'safe': Volodymyr Zelensky said that he was open to holding an election in Ukraine if the war with Russia comes to an end and the situation becomes safe. "We need to work in parliament because during the war, you can't have elections," he said in the White House. Trump joked over the Ukrainian leader's response on elections and drew parallels with how a similar situation could allow him to stay in power in the US after his current term expired. 'So let me just say three and a half years from now — so you mean, if we happen to be in a war with somebody, no more elections, oh, I wonder what the fake news would say,' Trump said. Zelensky said that a "truce" would be needed to hold the elections safely. He added, 'We can do security. We need...a truce, yes, everywhere -- the battlefield, the sky and the sea, to make it possible for people to do democratic open legal elections.' ALSO READ | No going into NATO or Crimea hopes, Trump tells Zelensky ahead of meet Volodymyr Zelensky said that he was open to holding an election in Ukraine if the war with Russia comes to an end and the situation becomes safe. "We need to work in parliament because during the war, you can't have elections," he said in the White House. Trump joked over the Ukrainian leader's response on elections and drew parallels with how a similar situation could allow him to stay in power in the US after his current term expired. 'So let me just say three and a half years from now — so you mean, if we happen to be in a war with somebody, no more elections, oh, I wonder what the fake news would say,' Trump said. Zelensky said that a "truce" would be needed to hold the elections safely. He added, 'We can do security. We need...a truce, yes, everywhere -- the battlefield, the sky and the sea, to make it possible for people to do democratic open legal elections.' Trump-Zelensky after their meeting: Both leaders held a private meeting after making public statements at the White House. Later, at the meeting with the European leaders, Trump said he had a "very successful day so far", while Zelensky said "this has been the best conversation" with the US President so far. Trump also reinforced that he will try to work out a trilateral meeting between the US, Ukraine and Russia, noting that Moscow has agreed to accept security guarantees. Zelensky followed suit and affirmed, "All of us want to finish this war and stop Russia." (with inputs from agencies)
